OSU – one win away from being bowl-eligible - has won four straight games at Cal and hasn’t lost to the Bears at Memorial Stadium since the 1997 season.

That is certainly an interesting footnote, but it carries little relevance to what happens Saturday, said Beavers coach Mike Riley.

Riley is more concerned about the direction his team takes in its remaining four games - against Cal, Washington, Washington State and No. 7 Oregon. That, and Cal tailback Jahvid Best, who Riley said was one of the fastest human beings he has seen on a football field.

No one outside of the OSU locker room is expecting the Beavers to run the table and go 9-3, but consider that this is a program that went on a tear in 2006 to finish 10-4, got hot late to finish 9-4 in 2007 and won six of its last seven last season to go 9-4.

Cal may be the swing game to another late-season run, and Riley realizes its importance.

“We have more defining moments ahead of us, for sure,’’ he said.

“If we continue to grow, and do what we’re supposed to do. …”

Which may be a big ‘if’ because Oregon State has shown some warts this season, particularly on defense.

Riley must surely be worried about what Cal quarterback Kevin Riley might do to his secondary.

Outside linebacker Keaton Kristick, who played in OSU’s memorable 31-28 upset of No. 2 Cal at Berkeley in 2007, said it is a familiar feeling, being poised for a stretch run.

“It seems like it’s that way every year,’’ he said.

The pressing question is, does this Oregon State team have what it takes to grab upset wins on the road? Is it good enough to throw a scare into the Ducks at Autzen on Dec. 3? Maybe even beat them?

Riley said he likes this OSU team, likes the way it competes, likes the leadership he is seeing on and off the field from his older players.

But not even Riley knows if that translates into six wins, or seven wins, or eight wins, or nine wins.

And while the players are confident, they are also cognizant that talk is cheap on the first week of November.

“I’m not sure what it really takes to take it to that next level,’’ said Kristick, who points out that OSU’s losses this season have come against No. 4 Cincinnati, No. 12 USC, and No. 21 Arizona.

“We have all the athletes, we have all the coaches, and we’re really just a couple plays from being not necessarily undefeated but having a really solid record and being ranked,’’ said Kristick.

“I still think we’re a really good team, and heck, we’re one game away from a bowl game.’’

Notes: Kristick was asked about the Pac-10 race, which was turned on its ear when Oregon hammered USC, and said it was definitely “more competive. You’ve got Boise State that’s probably on top of the Pac-10 right now,’’ he said jokingly, alluding to BSU’s season-opening win over Pac-10 leader Oregon. … on the subject of the Ducks, who some national pundits are saying might be the best team in the country, Kristick said, “they still have to play Arizona (Nov. 21 in Tucson) and they still have to play us. That’s what makes it exciting. That’s college football.’’ … the semi-concussion that cornerback Tim Clark suffered late in the UCLA game came after he had a helmet-to-helmet collision with Beavers’ defensive tackle Stephen Paea. Clark is listed at 6-foot and 180 pounds, while Paea is listed at 6-1 and 285. “Imagine my luck,’’ said Clark, who was feeling woozy after the game and all day Sunday. … OSU tailback Jacquizz Rodgers didn’t like the line of questioning Tuesday when media pressed him on his remarkable streak of 510 career touches without a fumble. “I don’t like talking about fumbles,’’ said Rodgers. … ESPN.com bowl projections have the Beavers meeting BYU in either the Las Vegas Bowl or the Poinsettia Bowl. … former OSU outside linebacker Joey LaRocque was visiting at the Valley Center Tuesday. It was LaRocque who came up big the last time OSU played at Cal, making a last-second tackle on Riley that cost the Bears a chance at their first No. 1 ranking in 56 years. “That was a really neat play, back in the day,’’ said Kristick.